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Terror suspects arrested in Mumbai [Mumbai] [Times of India]

(Times of India Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) MUMBAI: The crime branch have started a probe into a major terror link involving two suspects including a Kashmiri, who are believed to be working under cover as dry fruit merchant and hotel manager in Mumbai and were passing off vital information to terror outfit Hizbul Majaheedin (HM).

The city police have arrested two persons namely Farooq Naikoo (37) and Mohammed Talukdar (36) for their alleged links with HM and terror funding through hawala and counterfeit racket. Last week the Anti-Narcotic Cell (ANC) had raided Relax lodge at Masjid Bunder and arrested in connection with counterfeit notes. Police recovered counterfeit notes worth Rs 27,000 from their possession. During the probe it was transpired that the counterfeit notes were routed Pakistan through Bangladesh and their were unaccounted flow of huge funds into their several bank accounts.

While Naikoo who hails from Baralmulla district in Kashmir masquerade as dry fruit merchant at APMC market at Navi Mumbai for past one and half year, Talukdar is a Assami and is working as hotel manager at Relax lodge for past five years. Police raided Naikoo's residence at Khopar Khairne and have seized CDs, CPUs, computer hard disk, mobile phone and are analyzing them. Police have booked them for counterfeit notes and are likely to invoke the Unlawful Actvities provision Act (UPA) for their alleged links with HM.

As such investigations needed a thorough dedicated team, the case was transferred to the Central Intelligence Unit (CIU) for detail probe. During sustain interrogations it was transpired that duo were linked to HM and were linked to Kashmiri militants. At least Naikoo who hails from Kashmir is a BSc and directly associated with members of HM and has been to Pakistan on several occasion.'' Said Himanshu Roy, joint commissioner of police (Crime). Roy said that atleast Naikoo has been to Pakistan and POK on number of occasion. While officially he crossed the border three times, he has crossed LOC on several occasions. Naikoo was in touch with officials of Pakistan army as well few Kashmiri militants and a strong separate Kashmir activist.

Roy said that the modus operandi of the accused was to smuggled counterfeit notes and drugs into India beneath under apples and dry fruits and than sell them in Mumbai. The fruits and dry fruits were sold in APMC market while the drugs and the counterfeit notes in city. We have found photographs of Indian dams, bridges and other vital installations which we believed Naikoo has passed on them to his handlers in Pakistan through various communication like mobile phone, smes, video clips, skype and Ringa, a new mode of communication to evade security agencies.

According to investigating officer Ajay Sawant, the Kashmiri native Naikoo has send pictures of graves of few terrorist who died during police encounters in Kashmir which the terrorist may used to indoctrinate new recruits. This arrest could be just tip off iceberg as we will be now digging deeper till the bottom of the case.'' Said Niket Kaushik, additional commissioner of police. The city police have intimated the development to the Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the National Investigating Agency (NIA) which will now conduct a parallel investigations.